What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

Specialties Emergency Nursing Q/A

And did you have to treat them?

I am just curious. Your stories always seem to either crack me up or shake my head in amazement.

Thanks for sharing ?

I once read about a guy who showed up at his local ER, screaming and hollering about how his back hurt, it was killing him, he needs treatment *now,* why is the ER staff so rude/slow? Finally, after a few hours, it's his turn to be examined.  Suddenly, he stops screaming and he's perfectly calm.  They ask him why he's there.  Turned out that, at the beginning of the week, he woke up with back pain.  He hoped it'd be gone by the end of the week, since the US Super Bowl was that Sunday (he went to the ER on Saturday).  When the back pain wasn't gone by Saturday, he went to the ER, fully expecting them to give him an instant fix for his back pain.

"Well, if you've been living with the pain all week, why is it suddenly an emergency now?"

"The Super Bowl is tomorrow! I'm supposed to be having a big party with lots of friends! How am I supposed to host a Super Bowl party if I can't even sit up without pain?!"

IIRC, they gave him some muscle relaxers and sent him home.

Specializes in ED RN, Firefighter/Paramedic.

After 25 years of EMS, I had an ED patient a few weeks ago with my top #1 stupidest complaint.

Medic arrives with a 25ish year old female, abdominal pain, no obvious distress, no pregnancy, normal elimination.  I ask her what she thinks is going on, she literally tells me “I think my pants are too tight”.  I said “when you loosen your pants, does the pain go away?”  “Yes”.  

I sent her to triage. 

Specializes in PACU, ED.

And a new guy moved into first place for ridiculous. Chief complaint was "I missed work today and need an excuse that I was at the ED. I thought about saying I had a cold but then you'd have to swab my now and I don't like that. So I told them I hurt my hand.” 
Me: Does your hand hurt?

Him: " No, but I need a note that I was seen here for hand pain because that is what I told work.”

Thanks to EMTALA we have to let him check in but with appropriate and accurate notes of his complaint. Good luck buddy. 

Specializes in ED RN, Firefighter/Paramedic.

Had someone come in yesterday for acne.

Specializes in Emergency Room.

A hang nail with no c/o pain. He could have at least said it hurt ?

Specializes in Geriatrics/Oncology/Psych/College Health.

OK - dumb question - I understand that you can't refuse to treat someone in the emergency room. Can you refuse to see an obvious non-emergency like the hangnail?

Nurse Ratched said:
OK - dumb question - I understand that you can't refuse to treat someone in the emergency room. Can you refuse to see an obvious non-emergency like the hangnail?

You would think so, wouldn't you?

According to EMTALA, you can refuse to treat things that are not considered emergencies. The trick is, though, it has to be determined through a medical exam that it is not an emergency. Triage does not count. so you've got to get the person back there for the exam, and since they're back there, might as well treat them.

I think EMTALA needs some serious tweaking. Or those who wrote it should be willing to pick up the tab.

Edit to add: still, I think I'd suggest a nail salon instead of an emergency room for a hangnail. Much cheaper.

I do know that hospitals can and do garnish wages to pay for things if a person has an income. They can also put liens against property.

JUSTYSMOM said:
and do you have to treat them?

I am just curious. Your stories always seem to either crack me up or shake my head in amazement.

Thanks for sharing ?

As a matter of fact, in the wee hours of Monday morning, I woke up with severe pain on my left side front and back and radiating down my groin. I also had alot of pressure to urinate but when I tried could only void a very small amount. Also had vomiting and nausea.

Well, the pain would not subside. Any Tylenol I tried to take for it was vomited up.

Finally after 3 hours of this, I dragged my aching body to the car and drove down to the ER at 4:30 in the morning. I could not understand what could be causing the pain and was, understandably, afraid.

There was blood in my urine and they did a catscan, but the nurses had already figured out I had a kidney stone ("doing the kidney stone dance").

They put an IV in me for fluid and pain medicine and when I was awake enough let me go home with vicodin and suppositories for nausea and vomiting. Doc instructed me to see a urologist in the next couple days.

I hope the ER staff didn't think me coming down with a KS was silly. I live alone and just have myself to depend on. They sure did help me out - the pain was unbearable.

Just a little anecdotal story.

angel337 said:
a hang nail with no c/o pain. he could have at least said it hurt ?

? What was he thinking?!

jyoung1950 said:
As a matter of fact, in the wee hours of Monday morning, I woke up with severe pain on my left side front and back and radiating down my groin. I also had alot of pressure to urinate but when I tried could only void a very small amount. Also had vomiting and nausea.

Well, the pain would not subside. Any Tylenol I tried to take for it was vomited up.

Finally after 3 hours of this, I dragged my aching body to the car and drove down to the ER at 4:30 in the morning. I could not understand what could be causing the pain and was, understandably, afraid.

There was blood in my urine and they did a catscan, but the nurses had already figured out I had a kidney stone ("doing the kidney stone dance").

They put an IV in me for fluid and pain medicine and when I was awake enough let me go home with vicodin and suppositories for nausea and vomiting. Doc instructed me to see a urologist in the next couple days.

I hope the ER staff didn't think me coming down with a KS was silly. I live alone and just have myself to depend on. They sure did help me out - the pain was unbearable.

Just a little anecdotal story.

Now why in the world would you even think that it would be silly to go to the ER for that? I had a kidney stone years ago. It was probably the worst pain I ever felt in my life!

Arrived via ambulance, Mild Headache 3 hour duration, hadnt tried any otc drugs. Bet he had a real headache when he got the er and ambulance bill :chuckle

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